Hurricane Harvey Relief Opportunity

Posted Aug 28, 2017 by cyndimccloskey

Marion First United Methodist Church, Your Holston Conference Disaster Response Team, and The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) have issued an urgent plea requesting Cleaning Kits and Hygiene Kits to assist in the cleanup for those in areas affected by Hurricane Harvey.

We will be collecting completed kits at the church (115 S. Church St. Marion, VA) for the next several weeks.

Please click on the links below for instructions on making the kits or view the instructions below:

Place all liquid items in the bucket first. Place remaining items in the bucket fitting them around
and between the liquid items. Sponges, scouring pads, clothespins and trash bags can be
separated in order to fit all of the items in the bucket. Ensure the lid is closed securely.

Important Notes

All items must be new except for the actual bucket and lid.

All cleaning agents must be liquid and in plastic containers. No powders, please.

If you cannot find the requested size of a liquid item, use a smaller size. Including larger sizes of any item will prevent the lid from sealing.

If all of the items on the list are not included, please put a label on the bucket indicating what has been omitted.

Cleaning buckets are only used within the United States. They are not opened to verify the contents unless there are indication some items have been omitted

UMCOR does require that all patriotic symbols be removed from the kit contents. For example, if an item in a kit has a stamp that contains the American Flag, that stamp must be removed, covered or blacked out.

Packing and Shipping Kits Instructions

Box weight: Each packed box cannot exceed 66 pounds.

Complete 2 packing lists: One for your records and one to put on the shipping box.

Paste the shipping label / packing list on the outside of each box you send. The shipping list helps the depot to quickly process kits.

Processing & Shipping Costs: Please enclose an envelope containing at least $1.50 for each Cleaning Bucket you send. This donation enables Cleaning Buckets to be sent to areas in need.

Hygiene Kit Instructions:

Value: $12.00 per kit

Hygiene Kit Materials

1 Hand towel

-15 x 25 inches to 17 x 27 inches

-Kitchen, cleaning, and microfiber towels not acceptable.

1 Washcloth

1 Toothbrush

-Adult size only.

-Do not remove from original packaging.

6 Adhesive bandages

-¾ inch to 1 inch - size

-Common household Band-Aids.

1 Bath-size soap

-3 oz. and larger sizes only.

-No Ivory or Jergens soap due to moisture content.

-Do not remove from original packaging.

1 Comb

-Comb needs to be sturdy and longer than 6 inches long.

-No pocket combs or picks, please/

-Rattail combs and combs without handle are acceptable with a minimum of 6 inches of teeth.

1 Metal nail file or nail clippers

-No emery boards, please.

1 plastic bag

-One-gallon size sealable bag only.

$1.00 to purchase toothpaste

Assembly Directions
Set the $1.00 for toothpaste aside to be included in a separate envelope. Lay out the hand towel flat on a table. Lay the washcloth flat in the center of the hand towel. Place all remaining items on top of the washcloth. Fold over the sides of the hand towel to cover all of the items. Fold over one end of the hand towel so that it covers all of the items. Grasp the bundle of items tightly and roll over the remainder of the hand towel tightly. Place the tightly rolled bundle in the plastic bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal the bag.

Important Notice

All items must be new.

Do not wash any of the items as they will be considered used.

Please remove all packaging, unless otherwise specified above.

All emergency kits are carefully planned to make them usable in the greatest number of situations. Due to the fact that strict rules often govern product entry into international countries, it is important that kits contain only the request items-NOTHING MORE.

DO NOT include any personal notes, money, or additional material in the kits. These things must be painstakingly removed and will delay the shipment.

UMCOR is now purchasing toothpaste in bulk to be added to health kits before shipping to ensure that the product does not expire before they are sent. Do not put single dollar bills in each kit. Collect all monies for toothpaste and shipping place it in a separate envelope and send along with the kit donations.

UMCOR does require that all patriotic symbols be removed from the kit contents. For example, if an item in a kit has a stamp that contains the American Flag, that stamp must be removed, covered or blacked out.

Packing and Shipping Kits Instructions

Box weight: Each packed box cannot exceed 66 pounds.

Complete 2 packing lists: One for your records and one to put on the shipping box.

Paste the shipping label / packing list on the outside of each box you send. The shipping list helps the depot to quickly process kits.

Processing & Shipping Costs:

Please enclose an envelope containing at least $1 for each kit you send. This donation enables kits to be sent to areas in need.